Gifts from the Heart!

I am back from a little vacation to see my son and his family...


A good friend of mine had a birthday and I wanted to do something special for her. We like most of the same things...antiques, flea markets, specialty stores, trash to treasures, thrift stores, garage sales, etc.


I took her to lunch then we shopped some of the quaint stores in Hannibal, Mo. which is right across the river from

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Home Decor In Indian Summers

Summers have already arrived in my part of the world 

and I am little late in publishing this post but I am sure that it will be helpful for all those who are still waiting for summers to arrive.  Make the most of the season by decorating it in summery accent. Are you wondering how you can do that, well read on.........

Paint walls in cool colours: 
Try painting walls in calm colors like apple green, blue or lemon yellow. Striped walls can give perfect summer feel to home. Fresh coat of color can make home look bright and summery. What about painting your room in turquoise and then accenting it with yellow and green cushions and other accessories.

Image Source: Click Here

Update furnishing:
Furnishing suddenly changes the appearance of any room. Try hanging white sheer curtains to brighten up the room but it's not always white that brighten up the space, you can try shades of blue or green to add the cheer. Flowery and leafy print bed linens are best for summers. Use light and airy ones for perfect summery feel.

Image Source: Click Here

Paint furniture:
Painting furniture in cool colours is an easy and quick way to welcome summers. Try painting dark furniture in white color to bring in the freshness and place bold color pillows on sofa to compliment it. Yes it can be cane wood/wicker furniture. Use wicker, cane or iron furniture for outdoors. It's suitable for summers and put some fresh flowers and tea light on the table to spend pleasant summer evening.

Image Source: Click Here

Add some green:
Bring in fresh flowers and leafy plants for cheerful and green atmosphere inside the home. Indoor plants can highlight any corner in your home.

• Click here to know how you can grow indoor plants like a pro.

Image Source: Click Here

Update accessories:
Choose summer theme for home, it can be nautical, beach, ocean, fruits, flower, insect. Place related accessories throughout the home to achieve the look of chosen theme. Tray full of conch and shells on the coffee table are just perfect to welcome summer into your home.

Image Source: Click Here

Set up balcony:
Setup balcony with white daybed, colourful hammock, some fluffy cushions and some greens too. You are now ready to spend your evenings in a dreamy balcony.

Image Source: Click Here

That's how you can achieve perfect summery look for your home. So are you going to try any of these tips.
Happy Decorating!!

Design Decor & Disha: An Indian Design & Decor Blog

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Quirky Decorating Ideas

Decorating is definitely not a rocket science.

 You don't need to buy big pieces and everything new. If you want to decorate your home in a quick and easy way here are some tips to fulfill your desire for that dream home.

1. The very first thing to start with is unclutter, clear the clutter and your space will look brighter and well arranged. Clutter in any room makes it appear messy and small. Clearing the clutter and placing things in proper way makes a room look bigger and brighter.

Image Courtesy: Click Here

2. The easiest way to make your home look new, fresh and beautiful in record time is rearranging the furniture. Place furniture in an unconventional way to give a completely new look to a room. Move seating arrangement away from the wall for intimate and cozy seating. I rearranged my living room and got a completely new look. You can see that transformation here.

Image: Mine

3. Putting slipcovers on furniture make them look new and can change overall appearance of the room.

4. Update curtains and draperies. Choose the right color according to theme and furniture in the room.
5. Changing a theme or style of the decor in a particular room is also an easiest and quick way to cheer up the space. To choose or pick a style read this post.

6. Change the pictures and artwork all around your place. Try matching either color or theme of the paintings. Changing accessories can make a lot of difference. Its a quick and easy way to decorate your space.

Image Courtesy: Click Here

7. Add texture and pattern to a room by placing some nice area rug or beautiful cushions. It instantly lift the lost charm of a room.

8. Painting just one wall in a room certainly adds a lot of character and drama to the place. Put up some nice artwork and you are done.

9. Sometimes changing indoor plants can also do the trick. Replace palm with fern or some flowering plant or vice versa and see the difference.

10. One more easy and quirky way to decorate home is give those old lampshades a new look by painting them or adding nice lace to them. 

Just follow these tips and your home will be pleasant and welcoming.
Happy Decorating!!

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Know Your Decorating Style

Decorate your home. 

It gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is.

-Charles M Schulz

We all want to transform our house into home. Decorating in a style plays an important role in this transformation. Learn about the most popular interior design styles. Lets discover your decor style.

Contemporary/Modern Style: Straight lines, Clean edges, bold colors, uncluttered, minimal furnishings, clean lined furniture,floors should be bare and smooth, furnishings should blend with the wall color rather than contrast, all these are characteristics of contemporary style decorating. 'Less is more' is the main rule while doing up home in Contemporary style. This style promotes serenity and simplicity to your home. It can be very comfortable and at the same time very stylish one.

Image Courtesy: Click Here

Vintage/Retro Style: Decorating style that is inspired and influenced by trends from the past i.e. 50's 60's & 70's. Little worn and vintage furniture that looks dated, broad sofas with colorful pillows, shag carpeting or linoleum tiles in checkerboard pattern, bold color theme, lamps with tasseled or lacy shades, vintage accessories, patterned and lacy fabric for furnishings, floral print artwork in a vintage style frame, vintage pottery, glassware and  statuary, wallpaper with floral pattern & display of vintage items on shelves. All these  are elements of retro style decorating.

Image Courtesy: Click Here

Traditional Style: Traditional style is timeless decorating style that is very calm, inviting, comfortable, orderly, casual and uncluttered. Main feature of this design style is consistency. For walls there should be moldings or rails and wall colors should be neutral, color scheme is lighter for walls and deeper color for  upholstery,  wooden flooring with carpets/rugs, furniture with good combination of curved and straight lines, placement of furniture in pairs and should be symmetrical, furnishing are classic, fabric mainly Damask and floral/understated stripes/small overall pattern are common, lighting fixture should be  classic, silky lamp shades, table lamps, floor lamps, wall sconces & candles all these can be used. Accessorize traditional style home with, mirrors, vase, urns, lamps, oil paintings, crystal chandelier. But keep in mind use accessories in pairs and arrange them in symmetry to achieve traditional look for your home.

Image Courtesy: Click Here

Rustic Style: Rustic decorating style is very close to nature. Wood in its natural state, unfinished & rough looking (i.e. without paint and sheen) is the main element of this style. Wall with wooden panel, plank wood floor, weathered ceiling beams, wall color in muted earthy tones, furniture in dark tone contrasting to wall color, fabric should be rough burlap, wool or linen, fireplace is a must for rustic style and put rocking chairs in front of it, large floor lamps and hanging lights specially of wrought iron/ distressed metal, accessorize rustic style home with all natural elements like river rocks, pine cone, twigs, dried leaves, animal head, rustic clock, landscape prints and naturalistic paintings add all these elements to achieve the look of rustic style home.

Image Courtesy: Click Here

Eclectic Style: This one is my favorite as I don't want to stick to a single decor style. If you don't want to adhere to any particular decorating style this is the style for you. This style is a perfect mix of various periods and styles. Gather elements from different styles that all work together. Here's is how to pick elements: color palette neutral, wall and floor in same hue, all the furniture line, finishes and material should tie together with paint or fabric, furnishing in neutral color and add to it colored trim, tassels or fringe, uncluttered, good mix of old and new,  unique artwork and accessories from different styles but put together cohesively.

Image Courtesy: Click Here

Image Courtesy: Click Here

Pick decorating style according to your taste and personality and follow these simple tips to achieve that look.
Happy Decorating Folks!!

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Decor Ideas For Living Room

Your home reflects your personality and living room plays a key role in reflecting your lifestyle. There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort. Here are few tips that can transform your living room into a comfortable, functional & pleasing abode.

The first thing before decorating a living room is to know about how many purposes the room will going to serve like TV room, drawing room , family room or may be all these. Then choose the stuff according to its purpose. 

Next you should place all the furniture in a way that it should look uncluttered, spacious and most importantly functional. If you are living in a small apartment then multipurpose and small furniture is always a best option to give your living room a spacious look. Sofa is the main furniture and plays an important role in overall look of the place. Choose it wisely according to the space available, theme of the living room and color of the walls. It should be comfortable and gorgeous as well to beautify the space. Put some throw pillows to perk up the place and to add some color. Center table comes next and can be very appealing if accessorized properly. Don't over accessorize it.

Image Credit: Click Here

An indoor plant in eye catching planter or a vase filled with some fresh flowers, few candles or may be some pebbles or shells all kept in a tray and some good books these are the accessories that work well with any kind of theme.

Image Credit: Click Here

Wall color should be light for your room to look spacious and bright. Though you can create a focal point by painting one wall in dark color with texture on it or stenciled wall or a wallpaper according to your room's theme can do wonder. Putting up a collage of family pictures that oftentimes called picture gallery wall is always a best choice to give your room a personal touch. You can choose a big canvas painting also to give your place a traditional feel. A big mirror or collection of mirrors displayed on wall not only looks pleasing but also makes your room look bigger and brighter.

Image Credit: Click Here

Curtains, rugs and carpets create a complete look of any living room. All these furnishings should be color coordinated and blend well with rest of the decor.
Lighting plays an important role in creating a warm ambiance. Where chandelier can make your room look classy and traditional, spotlights and floor lamps give it a contemporary look. Table lamps placed on either side of the sofa looks pleasing and create warm and welcoming feel.

Image Credit: Click Here

Just keep these few things in mind and you can surely transform your place in no time.In case you missed reading post about Foyer Decorating then click here to read.
Happy Decorating!!

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Great Ways To Have A Beautiful Home

Love makes our House a Home and to turn Home into a Beautiful Home you need to follow these simple tips.

1. The very first thing to start with is unclutter, clear the clutter and your space will look brighter and well arranged. Clutter in any room makes it appear messy and small. Clearing the clutter and placing things in proper way makes a room look bigger and brighter.

2. The easiest way to make your home look new, fresh and beautiful in record time is rearranging the furniture. Place furniture in an unconventional way to give a completely new look to a room. Move seating arrangement away from the wall for intimate and cozy seating.

3. Putting slipcovers on furniture make them look new and can change overall appearance of the room.

4. Update curtains and draperies. Choose the right color according to theme and furniture in the room.
5. Changing a theme or style of the decor in a particular room is also an easiest and quick way to cheer up the space. 

6. Change the pictures and artwork all around your place. Try matching either color or theme of the paintings. Changing accessories can make a lot of difference. Its a quick and easy way to decorate your space.

7. Add texture and pattern to a room by placing some nice area rug or beautiful cushions. It instantly lift the lost charm of a room.

8. Painting just one wall in a room certainly adds a lot of character and drama to the place. Put up some nice artwork and you are done.

9. Sometimes changing indoor plants can also do the trick. Replace palm with fern or some flowering plant or vice versa and see the difference.

10. One more easy and quirky way to decorate home is give those old lampshades a new look by painting them or adding nice lace to them.

When my husband and I bought an apartment I was so filled with great enthusiasm to give my home a beautiful and pleasing look with lot of personal touch. I want my home to reflect my personality and I want my home to tell a story who I am. It was like a big blank canvas for  me and I wanted to fill it with my choice of colors. Yes for me color plays an important role in creating an alluring space. 

Great and easiest way to turn your home into a beautiful space is to give a fresh coat of color. Now let me share a secret with you Asian Paints Home Solutions enables you to have a Beautiful home. How? well they offer a service called home solutions and this service offers you several benefits like Hassle-free Service Experience, Expert Advise, Experts at work, Superior Finish, Seal of Assurance & Mechanized Painting tools. 

When I moved into my new abode I started transforming every room one by one. Thanks to Asian Paints for giving my home a refreshing and new look. Lets have a look how did I beautify my home.
First I chose foyer and transformed it into a warm, pleasing and welcoming space. Read entire story about this makeover here.

Image: My Home

Below is the before and after image of my Living Room. 

Image : My Home

One more wall of my Living Room . I put up Lippan work panel on wall.

Image: My Home

Tell me which makeover you liked the most. Are you ready to beautify your place then Asian paints home solutions can be a great help.
Happy Decorating!!



Linking it to Tuesday Tea Party!!!

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The Right Place At The Right Time!

Talk about LUCKY! I was at the right place at the right time on this one!


The story goes like this...I'll set the scene,

I was fluffing my booth at our local antique mall. I ran into one of the guys that works there.

Me: Whoa, can I touch that?
Mark: Yes, it's heavy.
Me (looking at the price tag): Wow, $20! Is it for sale?
Mark: No, I am buying it from him. (looking over his shoulder)
Me:

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Fall-Winter Living Room Decor Ideas

As the soft morning sun rays peep into my living room I am pleasantly reminded that winters have arrived.

Everyone wants to escape from chilling winter weather outside and this is the right time of the year 

to create cozy, warm and inviting interiors. How can you achieve that look for your living room...oh let me share some very easy ideas here to welcome winters.

The key is to create cozy living room by adding some warm colors, plump cushions, woolen throws, thick rugs, soft warm lights and may be a woolen blanket to snuggle up with piping hot tea/coffee. 

Give a coat of rich color to a wall to make your living room warm and cozy instantly. Colors like yellow, terracotta, gold, purple, orange and red can do wonders. Add rich colors with accessories, furnishings and furniture too.

Image Credit

Lay soft carpets and woolen, knitted, crochet or thick floor rugs to cover up cold floor. Rugs not only give warm and cozy feel but it looks elegant and add element to your decor too. Choose one in right color and texture. It enhances relaxing feel of room.

Image Credit

Plump cushions & pillows scattered or lined up on sofa with matching fur or woolen throw feel as good as bear hug in frosty winter weather. Floor pillows and ottomans in warm fabric create a perfect cozy living room for winters. 

Image Credit

Soft lighting is better way to add warmth and create perfect ambiance for winter. Dim and mood lights are more appealing than brighter ones and give wintry charm. Candles centerpiece and fall flower & leaves decoration not only beautifies the surrounding but glow of candles bring calming, warm and inviting effect also. 

Image Credit

 Now some more things that you can do to make your living room comfortable and relaxing for winters. Line curtains with thermal lining or simply swap them for heavy ones. Create cozy reading nook to add a touch of winter. An arm chair placed near book case with some floor cushions scattered around make winters more enjoyable and your home interiors more inviting and cozy. 

Image Credit

Hope these ideas will be helpful in transforming your abode into a warm, inviting, relaxing and cozy winter retreat. Enjoy winters!!

Link Love @ ShowAndTellFriday

 [This post is a part of the Fab Blogger contest by FabFurnish.com, the one stop destination to buy trendy sofa sets and living room decor essentials online.]

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Tall and Short!

This is the story of two fern stands. One of the stands is tall and has great bones...




But she started out in life a bit drab and on the plain side...


With some added flair on the top (found on The Graphic Fairy), she's now ready for the catwalk...


Then we can't forget the short one that was two pieces of wood married together...


I think the base was really a wooden candle stand.

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Home Tour: Shalu Prasad

Home tours have always been a great way to get inspired by people around the world and at the same time it quenches our thirst for images of lovely interiors, isn't it. 

Today on my blog I am sharing such lovely images of a home filled with character, vibrancy and is a visual treat. Shalu Prasad who blogs over at Temple Bells done up her home aesthetically and has equally beautiful blog. For more lovely and drool worthy images of her home head over to her blog. 

Here is her ever evolving living room, as she says.

Lovely knick-knacks all around the home and warmth added by placing lamps and diyas perfectly.

More about Shalu and her home in her own words:

A  self taught artist and a homemaker, with a keen eye for fine, ethnic art and have the intrinsic ability to convert a plain house into a tasteful warm, earthy place to call a “home”. This has earned me the title ”idea box” from people around me. I am passionate about my Tanjore art-which I imbibed from experts in this field & I have done innumerable paintings in this art form.

My other passion is my home décor. My home is a reflection of my creativity and a huge palette, where all colors and media are laid down to experiment and thus cherish the outcome

A very beautiful, warm, bright and lively corner in a living room.

Lets have a look of some vignettes in her home. Everything in her home speaks about her impressive and outstanding decor style.

Come and have a look of her very beautiful garden. What else can be so relaxing and serene other than this gorgeous garden.

A peek into her sunny bright kitchen.

Now lets head over to her own studio where she creates magic. Yes she is self-taught artist and has done lot of Tanjore paintings.

I absolutely enjoyed Shalu's home tour. What about you....do you want to say a word or two to her. Lets leave a comment and make us happy :)

Make sure that you don't miss a post so like 3D on Facebook as some exciting news is coming shortly!!

• Click here to have a look of one more beautifully done Indian Home.

P.S. All images are provided by Shalu Prasad and subject to copyright.Please don't copy without her permission.

Design Decor & Disha: An Indian Home Decor blog

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